The Currency Of Trust
by Mistress of the Darkwood
Summary: The bright light of day can’t quite dispel the darkness that surrounds Tony, so the people closest to him do their best to help with a little love and a few chocolate chip waffles. Tony, Pepper, Obadiah, OFC. Implied Tony/Pepper.
1. Chapter 1

_Notes: This is a sequel to 'Tequila Lullaby' and a prequel to 'Practical Applications', both of which can be found on this archive. Iron Man with the concept of immortality from Highlander. Set the first week Tony is home, just after Rhodey blows Tony off, and the day before the Board of Directors meeting that Stane attends in New York_

* * *

The granite of the stairs was cool against Charlotte's bare feet as she headed down to the living room from the guest wing. Wearing jeans and a t-shirt that read 'Friends Don't Let Friends Drink White Zinfandel', she was desperate for a cup of tea after last night's tequila blowout with Tony. The housekeeper would have brought her one of course, but she'd decided that the fewer people who knew about Tony sleeping in her bed – no matter how innocent it had been – the better. He'd been sound asleep when she went to take a shower, but was gone by the time she'd finished. Knowing him, he was probably already back in his workshop tinkering.

Okay, not in his workshop, hearing his voice as it drifted up the stairs from below. _Probably talking to Jarvis._ Reaching the massive room, with its floor to ceiling windows and sweeping view of the Malibu coast, Charlotte discovered he wasn't actually alone. Still in the sweats and sleeveless t-shirt from the night before, hair standing on end, he was leaning against the side of the large sectional looking down at Pepper Potts who was seated on the sofa, his attention on her notebook computer screen.

"Ms. Sparrow," Pepper said, standing up, immaculate in a charcoal gray pantsuit and high-heeled platinum patent pumps. She realized she'd never seen Tony's personal assistant in anything more casual than a suit without a jacket. Idly she wondered if Pepper spent her time off in torn jeans and t-shirts as a change from her workweek attire.

She waved her back down. "Good morning, Virginia. And it's Charlotte," she reminded the younger woman gently.

"Yes ma'a— Charlotte," she amended with a small smile, sinking back down to the sofa.

"Birdie!" Tony greeted her cheerfully as she walked over to where he was leaning. She resisted the urge to smooth down his hair. "You were very quiet this morning! I didn't even hear you get up," he said with a wicked gleam in his eye.

Pepper dropped her eyes, suddenly very interested in her computer. Charlotte glared at him. Maybe Tony was too dense to notice, but it was obvious that Pepper cared about Tony a great deal and more than just professionally. On the other hand… was he trying to make Pepper jealous? Typical that he would act like a twelve-year-old. All that was missing was dipping her braid into the inkwell.

"Considering how much you had to drink, I'm surprised that anything less than the Big One would wake you up," she replied coolly, kicking him in the ankle for good measure.

He pushed away from his perch against the sofa. "I'd forgotten how mean a tequila hangover makes you," he remarked, not at all perturbed.

Rolling her eyes, she kicked him again. "Shut up, Tony, and go take a shower. As you are now, you'll scare small children and household pets."

During their exchange, Pepper had returned her attention to the two of them. It wasn't often she got to hear someone tell the great Tony Stark to shut up. She waited for her boss's response with obvious anticipation.

"See what I'm saying? Mean!" This time he jumped sideways to avoid another kick. "Now, Birdie, you know it's true," he told her with a tsk.

"Do you actually want me to make those chocolate chip waffles? Because I'm perfectly happy with toast and tea," Charlotte warned him with mock menace.

"Going now!" he said with alacrity.

"Uh huh." She tried not to laugh at his sudden capitulation.

He placed a quick kiss on the top of her head before making his retreat. Backing out, he caught Pepper's eye and motioned to Charlotte, mouthing 'mean'. Her giggle alerted Charlotte, who whirled, only to find Tony with a totally fake innocent expression on his face.

"You're pushing your luck," she warned.

"Oh, I'm not worried, Birdie," he said confidently as he sauntered away.

She watched him leave with a fond smile and an exasperated shake of the head before turning her attention to Pepper, who was once again staring fixedly at her notebook screen. "Come with me to the kitchen? I really need a cup of tea."

"Oh, I don't know, I have this…" Pepper waved at her notebook.

"Please, Virginia? I think it's time for a little girl talk."

Bobbing her head, she put the computer aside. "Okay."

* * *

"Miss Charlotte!" Tony's housekeeper greeted her happily as she and Pepper entered the sprawling kitchen. "Jarvis told me you'd arrived last night."

In her early sixties, Olga had originally worked for Tony's parents. When they'd died, she had followed Tony to his own household. She could have retired by now, well provided for. But she refused to leave; certain Tony would starve to death in a pile of dirty linen without her to keep an eye on him.

"Olga!" Charlotte kissed her on both cheeks. "How are you? The grandchildren?"

"I have no complaints, and my family is well, thank you." Turning to the counter, she poured tea from a pot into a mug. "The tea you like," she said with a smile, handing the mug to Charlotte.

"You are a goddess, Olga!" She sipped the tea appreciatively. Even after more than two hundred years in this country, she'd never developed a taste for coffee. The American Revolution had been hell in more ways than one. "May I please borrow the kitchen this morning?"

"Ah, Mr. Tony wants his waffles," Olga said with a sage nod.

Charlotte squeezed her shoulder affectionately. "You know him so well."

She sniffed. "I make him dinner, come back in the morning and he hasn't touched it!" She handed a cup of coffee to Pepper. "I worry about him." Her eyes were suspiciously bright.

Charlotte hugged her. "Between the three of us, we'll make sure he's okay."

Nodding, Olga wiped the back of her hand across her eyes. "You're good girls, both of you." Then she turned an eagle eye on Pepper, who looked nervous at being the object of the housekeeper's attention. "And you'll make sure she eats too?"

Laughing, Charlotte assured her that she would.

Satisfied, she took off her apron. "Then I will go to the beach and work on my painting. It was so good to see you again!"

"And you, Olga."

Tony's housekeeper left the kitchen humming a tune.

Pepper turned to Charlotte. "She scares me!"

"Olga? Why on earth does she scare you?"

"I don't know. I guess I wasn't sure she actually approved of me. And Tony thinks the world of her, so I mostly avoid her."

"Then she probably thinks you don't approve of her," Charlotte pointed out.

Pepper looked startled. "I never thought of it like that." She sipped her coffee. "I guess it's pretty stupid, the things we assume. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, I guess."

Charlotte laughed. It was such a perfect opening. "Speaking of assuming," she said, pulling out a stool at the breakfast bar and sitting down. Pepper followed suit, burying her face in the large mug of coffee she held in her hands. "I don't think I need to tell you that Tony is an attention slut. And this morning, he had the both of us as his captivated audience, loving every moment of it."

Looking at her sidelong, Pepper murmured, "It really isn't any of my business."

"Then whose business is it exactly?" she asked tartly. Before Pepper could reply, she continued, "You, me, Rhodey, we're Tony's family. If we don't look out for him, god knows who will."

"He makes it really hard to do that a lot of the time."

"I know he does." She sighed. "I found Tony outside in the wee hours of this morning. He was drunk and he hadn't had any sleep. I'm not sure he's slept much at all since he came back." Charlotte's voice was tight with concern. She wished now that she'd come sooner, or better yet, and gone to Germany when Tony had been taken there after his rescue. But it was too late to change any of that. All she could do was to try and make sure that she was here for him now and in the future, whatever he needed.

"I don't think he has," Pepper admitted with matching worry.

"I brought him inside, got him into bed, and held him while he slept." She poured more tea into her mug. "You can be as starved for touch, for affection, as you can for food, Virginia."

The room was quiet, only the muffled sound of surf crashing against the cliffs of Point Doom far below to be heard. "You love him," Pepper finally said.

"I do." Charlotte looked at her kindly. "And so do you; but I think in somewhat of a different way." She held up her hand, forestalling her reply. "Don't deny it." The other woman stared fixedly at her coffee cup. "Love takes many forms, Pepper. In time, you'll decide where that love will lead you. But for now, it's enough that you're here for him, and that he can trust you. Never underestimate what a gift that is to a man like Tony Stark."

Pepper finally looked at her. "Is it really enough?"

"It is—" she took Pepper's hand in hers "–trust me on that."

"You've known him a long time." She sounded hesitant. "You're close. I could tell that the first time Tony introduced us."

"We've never slept together, Virginia."

"I wasn't—" Then she shook her head. "Okay, maybe I was asking. I'm sorry, It really Iisn't/I any of my business."

"When a woman associates with Tony Stark, it's rare that it doesn't become everyone's business," she replied wryly.

"You can say that again!" Pepper said, exasperation colouring her voice. "Okay, since I'm being nosey this morning – why?"

"Why haven't I ever had sex with your boss?" she asked baldly. Pepper, her cheeks just the teeniest bit pink, nodded. "It's not like I wasn't tempted that first night we met. Very tempted," she amended with a grin. "It was Monte Carlo, it was warm and wonderful, and the champagne… the champagne! It was quite a night." She shrugged. "I guess I didn't want to be one of those women who are fodder for the gossip rags." There were other reasons, reasons she couldn't explain. That was part of the price immortality exacted; not ever being able to truly confide in anyone who didn't know your secret.

"But you ended up being friends. Good friends," she pointed out, seemingly not entirely satisfied with Charlotte's explanation.

"We did." Laughing, she continued, "Tony showed up at my hotel suite the next morning with several room service waiters in tow. He said he thought it was time to have breakfast with a woman he'd met the night before."

Eyes wide with surprise, she snorted in amusement. "God, that so sounds like something Tony would do!"

"Looking back, I agree. But at the time, I thought he was insane!"

"Can't imagine why," Pepper said facetiously.

"As the years have passed, I've realized that what makes us such good friends would make for lousy lovers." Shaking her head, she ran a hand through her hair. "Not that there haven't been attempts from time to time to convince me of just how wrong I am, but that's more because Tony thinks he has a reputation to maintain – or he's bored. And a bored Tony is a terrible thing indeed." There was a perfect blend of affection and aggravation in her explanation.

"He is the most vexing man," Pepper confessed, laughing.

Charlotte joined in the laughter. "You don't need to tell me that! The stories I could tell."

"Oh?"

"Seriously! I tell you what, when things settle down around here, come visit me. I'll give you enough blackmail material for the next several decades," she told her with a conspiratorial smile. "And we'll make a holiday of it; a week-long slumber party."

"It's a deal!" Pepper stuck out her hand, which Charlotte shook firmly, both women giggling.

"You're talking about me, right?" a male voice said from the door. Tony's hair was still damp from his shower and he'd changed into a black t-shirt and black jeans.

The two women looked at each other, lips twitching. "Now why would you think that, Tony?" Charlotte asked as he walked over to where they sat, her eyes twinkling.

"Because, I'm me!" Elbows on the counter, leaning in, he gave them his best meltingly sexy smile. "What else would the two hottest women in Malibu be talking about anyway?"

"Only in Malibu?" Charlotte just about choked on her tea at Pepper's question.

It certainly got Tony's attention. "My mistake, Miss Potts." His eyes were as warm and dark as espresso. "Southern California, definitely."

"Better." Pepper had a mischievous smile on her face. "Coffee, Mr. Stark?" she asked, pouring him a mug.

"Coffee, and…. Where are my waffles anyway?" He looked around the kitchen, seeing no evidence of his promised breakfast.

Walking around the counter, Charlotte said, "Patience! Soon!" She kissed him on the cheek. "Pepper will help, and you go make mimosas – if you think you can handle it?"

"Oh, I think I can manage."

"I knew we could count on you!"

"You can always count on Tony for the important stuff," Pepper assured Charlotte cheekily.

Tony looked back and forth between Pepper and Charlotte. "I don't think I like this female bonding thing."

"Tough!" was Charlotte's succinct reply. She pointed a finger at him. "Now go fetch me Chef's Juice if you want to eat." Pepper burst into giggles all over again. "Well? What are you waiting for? Christmas?"

"I'm never letting you near tequila again!"

"So you say," Charlotte told him with a sniff.

"Maybe if you're very nice to me." Arms akimbo, he waited expectantly for her response, eyes gleaming in amusement.

Charlotte looked at him standing there, the Arc Reactor in his chest glowing through the fabric of his shirt. More than three months of worry and fear coalesced, and overwhelmed with emotion, she threw her arms around him, holding him tight. "Don't scare me like that ever again, Tony Stark," she whispered, voice catching.

Returning her embrace, he kissed her forehead. "It's okay, Birdie. I'm home and I'm safe." Nodding against his chest, she just held him tighter. "Hey, you aren't crying are you?"

"No," she lied.

"Good, because I frown on women crying over me. Okay, that's not entirely true. If they have big…."

Charlotte punched him on the arm, laughing through tears. "Don't even go there!" she warned him, stepping back.

"That's better! I know you're feeling more like yourself when you start hitting me," he said with a grin. Reaching into his jeans pocket, he pulled out a handkerchief, handing it to her. At her look of bemusement, he asked, "What?"

She waved the hankie at him. "I wasn't expecting you to have one of these, is all."

"A gentleman always has a handkerchief," he stated loftily.

A wicked gleam filled her eyes. "Like I said…," she began, darting away before he could grab her, Pepper's laughter ringing across the room.

"You just wait!" he warned, making another grab for her. This time, she let him catch her, and he held her close. "Yeah, maybe I'll let it go this once."


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm stuffed!" Pepper declared, sighing in contentment.

"And you wonder why I like it when she visits," Tony told her with an impish grin.

Charlotte, pouring more mimosas into their glasses, just shook her head. "I'm glad you enjoyed it," she told Pepper.

Waving a hand at her, Tony said, "Hey, I liked it too!"

The three of them were sitting on the deck outside the kitchen, the piles of food that they'd started with now not much more than crumbs. It was a perfect morning, a clear blue sky, the sun warm, with just a bit of a breeze wafting the scent of the ocean around them.

"So I gathered," Charlotte said, arching a brow. "The six waffles you ate were a hint." She took a sip of her mimosa, which in actuality was more like orange tinged champagne the way Tony made them. Holding up her glass, she toasted, "To friendship and love." Pepper and Tony reciprocated the toast, Tony squeezing Charlotte's hand.

Then Jarvis's voice was heard. "_Mr. Stane has arrived, sir_."

"Excuse me," Pepper murmured as she got up to go meet him at the door.

"I'll make myself scarce," Charlotte said, starting to stand. She'd never been able to warm up to Obadiah, even though she knew how much he meant to Tony, the man being practically a surrogate father to him. If she could avoid having to see him, it was all the better as far as she was concerned. But it was not to be.

"There's no scarce for you, Birdie. Sit, have more champagne." He refilled her glass.

"I'm sure he wants to discuss business," she protested halfheartedly.

"And?"

"And, well, you know, business. Private stuff!"

"You're a shareholder, right?"

"Yes. So?"

"So, you stay right where you are." He patted her arm. "I'd like it if you were around more often, Birdie. You have a good head for business, and more important, you have a heart."

He was looking at her with those dark intense eyes, and she never really could say no when he looked at her like that. Sighing, she relented. "Sure, I'll stay." She was rewarded with a grateful smile.

"Tony!" Obadiah's voice boomed as Pepper led him out onto the deck. "You should have told me you had such beautiful company, I would have come earlier!"

"You know I don't like to share, Obie," Tony replied with an easy smile.

"I've noticed." He turned his attention to her. "Charlotte! It's wonderful to see you again! You should spend more time here; we don't see nearly enough of you."

"Funny, I was just telling her the same thing." Tony glanced over at her with an 'I told you so' look on his face.

"There you go! It's settled then; you have to be a much more frequent visitor," he said jovially, like some sort of freakish cigar smoking Santa Claus.

"I'll see what I can do," she murmured, inwardly grimacing at Obadiah's hand on her shoulder. Thankfully, it was only for a moment.

"Good, good!" He perched on the wall along the edge of the deck. "I'm headed to New York, Tony. Are you sure you won't come with me?"

Tony leaned back in his chair, looking up at the sky. "Yeah, I am, Obie. You can handle the board; that's your gift."

He didn't look happy. "But it isn't my name on the building, remember?"

"Come on, we talked about this!" Tony's irritation was apparent.

"Yeah, we did," he agreed. "But that doesn't mean I don't get to try and change your mind!"

"I'm not talking about this anymore, Obie."

"Charlotte, you're a shareholder," Stane unexpectedly stated.

What was it with everyone suddenly remembering she held stock in the company? "Yes," she answered cautiously.

"And as a shareholder, don't you think that the CEO should make an appearance at the board meeting called to deal with the _unexpected_ change in direction at Stark Industries?"

If Obadiah was trying to convince him to meet with the board, he was going to get the exact opposite result. He should realize that after all these years – Tony was the immovable object when pressured. And why on earth was Stane trying to get her involved? He couldn't possibly think she'd take his side over Tony's. Neither man was looking at her: Tony staring fixedly at the horizon and Obadiah watching Tony. Pepper was the only one who met her eyes; and those eyes were extremely worried. The whole situation left her feeling uneasy.

"What I think is that Tony's the boss and I trust his judgment as to what's best for Ihis/I company," she said quietly but firmly. Tony didn't look at her, but she saw him relax somewhat from the rigid posture he'd been holding.

"Fair enough," Stane said with a shrug.

"Go, deal with the board, Obie. I trust you, you know that." Tony's voice was quiet and tired like it had been last night.

"Okay, if you're sure?" Tony nodded. "In that case, I'll come by tomorrow night and fill you in."

"I'll see you out," Pepper said.

"No need." He waved her off. "I know the way. Charlotte, it's always a pleasure. Next visit, we'll see more of each other, I promise."

Charlotte responded with the appropriate social pleasantries and watched as the Stark Industries CFO left. Something about what had just happened niggled at her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Maybe it was simply that the man creeped her out and always had. She knew she was being unfair; he'd never been anything but the perfect gentleman in her presence. But she couldn't help how she felt. For Tony's sake, she played nice; however, something of her inner monologue must have shown on her face.

"Spill, Birdie. What's with the look?"

She glanced over at Tony with a slightly guilty expression. "It's nothing, don't worry about it."

"No, it's something. You are a lousy liar, Charlotte," he reproved with a shake of his head.

"I'm not!"

"Yeah, you are. So you may as well tell me, because you know I'll get it out of you eventually."

She looked at him mutinously, crossing her arms. "Fine! I don't like the way Obadiah looks at me, okay?"

Whatever Tony had been expecting her to say, it was apparent from the look of surprise on his face that wasn't it. "The way he looks at you?"

"You asked! It's like he's leering at me from behind his eyes." It sounded silly, she knew it did. But it was how she felt.

"Obie? Leering?" Tony threw back his head and laughed. "I leer at you all the time," he pointed out.

"That's different," she insisted.

"For the sake of argument, just how is it different?" He was humouring her now.

"When you do it, it's not like you're gauging how much I'd fetch on the open market," she said quietly.

"You're serious?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes, I am, and I don't think it's particularly funny." She glanced over at Pepper who was most definitely not laughing, and realized that the other woman understood exactly what she was talking about. "Can we just drop it? Please?"

But he wasn't ready to drop it. "How long have you felt this way?"

Sighing, she rubbed her eyes. "Since always."

"I never realized," he said more to himself than anything.

"No, you didn't, nor did I want you to. I may be a lousy liar, but I'm an excellent actress."

"So why didn't you ever tell me?" There was a note of accusation in his voice.

Lord, he was like a dog with a bone! Irritated, she snapped, "For god's sake, Tony, what would be the point? I hardly ever see the man! It wasn't an issue, and it doesn't need to be now if you'll just let it go!"

"And what about Rhodey? You don't have it in for him too, do you?" he demanded.

Pepper cut in, "Tony, I don't think—"

"No, Pepper, I want to know." His hands were on the table, palms flat against the glass top. "I don't like secrets or my friends keeping things from me that are important!"

Charlotte reined in her frustration, being well aware of the psychological effects of captivity and near mortal injury and knowing that Tony wasn't himself. The grown man he was, powerful, wealthy, a pillar of American military might, did on occasion transform into spoiled boy genius, self-absorbed and possessive; that aspect of Tony's personality she was used to. But his current behavior was very different. Too much had happened and he hadn't had nearly enough time to decompress, to cope with his ordeal. Hell, he hadn't even healed physically, so God only knew the extent of his mental trauma.

Keeping her voice level, she replied, "I don't have it in for anyone, Tony. As for Rhodey, he's an officer and a gentleman and I'd trust him with my life."

Something flashed in his eyes at her answer. "I'm sure he'll be thrilled to know he's your hero – assuming he ever gets off that high horse he's riding," he told her acidly.

_What the hell was that supposed to mean? Had something happened between Tony and his best friend?_ she wondered. But what she said was, "By all means, feel free to pass my feelings on to him." She took a calming breath, then another. "He's a good man, not that I should have to tell you that."

"Anything else? How about I set you two up since he's obviously your type; brave, honourable, reliable. All those admirable character traits chicks dig." He practically spat out the last few words.

Pressing her nails into her palms, she looked away. That was when she realized Pepper had left the two of them alone at some point during their altercation. _Smart girl_. "Stop it, Tony; this is ridiculous."

"Why?" he demanded. "It's the truth, right? I'm sure the two of you must have a lot to talk about." Again, there was the note of accusation, but she had no idea what he was driving at.

She closed her eyes, saying quietly, "I'm _not_ going to fight with you."

"Now we're getting somewhere!" He pushed his chair back; the metal feet making a screeching sound across the tile that made her cringe. "You won't fight with me because you do think I'm going to snap! Is that what this has all been about? Your visit? To keep an eye on me? Making sure I get my head on straight!" he said bitterly, exploding off the chair to his feet, arms at his sides, fists clenched so hard his knuckles were white.

"No!" Now she was on her feet too. "No, Tony!" She stepped right up to him, covering his fists with her hands, hoping she was making the right decision in confronting him instead of pulling back. She looked up into his eyes. "You are so very wrong and you're an idiot if you think that's what's going on!"

"Crazy and an idiot," he snarled, pulling away from her.

Shivering despite the warmth of the sun, she wrapped her arms around herself. "Damn it, Tony, I almost lost you," she said, fighting to keep her voice steady. "Do you know what it was like for me? For Pepper? Do you?" she demanded, her voice rising. "I lived here in this house for the first month after you were taken! I haunted Rhodey's office, looking for any scrap of news, of hope, they might have. They gave up, the military, the government, but we didn't! Me, Pepper, Rhodey, we didn't. We never believed you were dead! And every day you were gone a little bit of me died inside. So don't you dare accuse me of betraying you! You have no right!" She suddenly realized that not only was she practically screaming at him, she was also crying.

Turning away, she covered her face, trying to get a hold of herself. She'd never learned how to let the mortals in her life go. The ones she'd loved, the ones she'd cared for, husbands, children, lovers, friends. Every loss tore at her. Their lives were already so very short, and often their actions, the lives they led, hastened their ends.

Then Tony's hand was on her shoulder, pulling her back against his chest before his arms encircled her. "I'm so sorry, Birdie." His voice was ragged. "Please tell me you can forgive me. I can't lose anything else; I can't lose you."

She leaned into him, the hard metallic circle of the Arc Reactor pressing into her back and the steady beat of his heart reminding her all too sharply of his mortality. "I can forgive you almost anything, Tony," she whispered. "But can you tell me that you still trust me? Because in the end, that's all we have."

"I do, I never stopped." Arms tightening around her, his next words were not much more than a strained whisper. "I told you last night that there was so much I wanted to say but couldn't. But it's not just words. It's feelings too, hammering at me till I can't think straight. I don't know what happened. All the anger just…." His voice caught. "I took it out on you, and that's something I should have never done."

Nodding, she turned in his arms, reaching up to wipe away the damp tracks his tears had streaked across his face. "It's normal to be angry, to hurt inside, and to feel overwhelmed. That doesn't make you crazy or weak, just human. If the time comes that you want to talk about what happened, I'm here for you and I will never judge you."

He took her hands in his, bringing them up to his lips and kissing the tips of her fingers. "I know," he breathed out. "I'm just not ready yet."

"There's no timetable for dealing with trauma and grief, Tony love. Take your own time, and don't let anyone, including yourself, pressure you."

Nodding, he took a deep breath. "I'll try and remember that."

"You know what I said before: even if it's three in the morning. I meant that."

"Are we good?" He looked worried despite her reassurances.

"We're better than good. You know, I trust you with my life too, Tony. Don't ever doubt that. You may not be an officer, or a gentleman—" her lips quirked into a lopsided half smile "—but you're my best friend in the entire world, and I wouldn't trade you for anyone."


	3. Chapter 3

"Is it a… gauntlet?" Charlotte asked uncertainly as she ran a finger down the gleaming metal device lying on the table.

"You could call it that," Tony replied. "But the best way to explain is by demonstrating."

After reassuring Pepper that they hadn't spilled any blood, they had come downstairs to Tony's workshop, what Charlotte called his 'inner sanctum and toy box', so he could finally show her what he'd been working on with such intensity. Last night, when she'd arrived, there'd been some sort of robot leg on the worktable opposite the one with the gauntlet.

Glancing around the work area, she said, "Looks like you're building C-3PO. I can have one, right?" Grinning, she looked up at him, batting her eyelashes.

"Not C-3PO, but it's a thought. And yes, if I ever build one, you can have one of your very own," he promised with grin.

"Very cool!" She turned her attention back to the gauntlet. "So you were going to demonstrate?"

"If by demonstrating you mean having you try it out—" he took her wrist, drawing her arm across the table "—then yes, I'm demonstrating."

"Me?" She shook off Tony's grip. "Absolutely not! Do I have 'sucker' written on my forehead or something? I didn't hit my head hard enough after the last time you convinced me to try out one of your experiments that I have amnesia, you know!"

"That was an accident! This—" he pointed "—is perfectly safe." She just looked at him. "There isn't enough power in it right now to be dangerous. It will be powered by this." He tapped a finger against the Arc Reactor in his chest. "Right now, it's just hooked up to regular AC; a dribble of power."

"A dribble of power," she muttered.

"Fine, you don't believe me? Jarvis, will you tell her it's safe? This time," he added under his breath.

"_In this case, madam, it is indeed within acceptable parameters and should be non-injurious to your health._"

"Okay, okay!" She threw up her arms in surrender. Why on earth did she always let Tony talk her into these things? _Because he knows exactly how to sweet talk you. That and his big brown eyes and boyish charm. Pushover!_, she mentally scolded.

"This is going to be awesome, trust me!" he told her with his patent maniacal mad scientist grin.

Soon, he had her arm encased in metal and wires, acting all the while like it was Christmas morning. "Okay, move over to the left." Standing behind her, hands on her waist, he moved her to the clear space in the center of the work area. "Now, gently," he said softly, "just put your arms at your sides like you're pushing down on something."

Still not sure she totally trusted Tony's assurances, she very cautiously did as instructed, startled when it felt like something was pushing back. "What did it do?"

"It utilizes Repulsor technology."

"Like what you used in the Jericho system?"

"Hah! So you do pay attention!" He poked her in the ribs with a finger. "Yeah, just like in the Jericho."

She stepped away from him, studying the web of metal. Then she held her palm up, pushing with a little more pressure this time. The reaction was stronger as a result and she was pushed backwards just enough to make her lose her balance. Tony's hands came to rest on her shoulders, steadying her.

"Now tell me that isn't cool!" he said gleefully in her ear.

Nodding, she didn't answer immediately, deep in thought. Then, looking over her shoulder at him, she asked, "So there would be Repulsors in the leg you were working on last night?"

"In the legs, in the arms."

"And with a stronger power source, someone could actually hover off the ground?"

"Yes!" He squeezed her shoulders. "But better, you'd be able to fly!

"That is cool!" she agreed, finally answering his question as he started to remove the gauntlet from her arm. "To have the ability to actually fly!"

When she'd been a child in the eighteenth century, she had loved climbing the rigging of her father's ships and sitting in the crow's nest – much to the dismay of the long line of governess' her father had retained. For Charlotte, it had been like flying, high above the world. She remembered her first trip in a hot air balloon and the very first time she'd flown on an airplane. The highlight of her life had been when Tony had convinced Rhodey to take her up in an F-18 a few years back. It had been like she was that little girl again. And now Tony was creating something that would allow a human to fly. It was absolutely amazing!

"I knew you'd appreciate it." The pleasure in his voice brought a lump to her throat. She remembered all over again the nightmare of the last three months, and silently thanked God for bringing her friend back home.

Once he had her unhooked from the device, he took her hand, leading her over to a gleaming metallic round table that lit up at his approach. "Bring up the schematics, Jarvis." A 3D projection of what looked like some sort of space age version of a suit of armour appeared.

Peering down, she asked, "What is that?"

"That is what's going to do the flying. More agile than a jet, but able to fly at the same speeds. I'll have a prototype completed in a few days." He waited for her reaction.

She looked at him, then at the projection, then over at the parts on the worktables, then back at Tony. "You? Tony, you aren't a pilot!" Now he had her back to worried; the thrill of human flight pushed abruptly to the back of her mind as she realized what Tony was contemplating.

He brushed aside her concern. "How hard can it be?"

"Okay, don't bite my head off, but what about Rhodey? Have you asked him? He is an actual fighter pilot." That closed look was on his face again, his eyes shuttered.

"I went to him." He didn't say anything else.

"And?" she prompted. "Did you two have a fight?" Was she going to finally find out what was going on between the two men?

"No, we didn't fight." Obviously, he was going to make her drag it out of him.

"Oh, so you only fight with me. I'm touched by my specialness," she said peevishly.

That got a crooked half smile from him. "You shouldn't sell yourself short, Birdie." Okay, this was more like the old Tony, and she breathed a mental sigh of relief. He shook his head. "He blew me off, told me I needed to get my mind right." There was hurt in Tony's voice at his old friend's reaction.

_Get my mind right_. Those were the words Tony had hurled at her earlier. Now the pieces were finally beginning to fall into place. Brushing her thumb across his cheek, she took a step closer. "I'm sorry he reacted like that. But please try and cut him some slack? The last few months have been hell on him too, you know. It didn't do his career a lot of good when he fought the brass over stopping the search for you." He looked at her sharply. Ah, it seemed he hadn't known the lengths Rhodey had gone to. "Yeah, Tony, it's true. You are more important to Jim than his career. Go figure." She punched him lightly on the arm.

"I guess I need to think about some things," he finally acknowledged.

"Yes, you do. And thankfully, you have that nice big brain, so I think you'll do just fine."

* * *

"I'm going to cancel my Paris trip," Charlotte told Tony.

"No, you're not! No way! You're going and you'll give the best keynote speech ever." Tony pointed a finger at her. "You've been talking about this since last year, so no, Birdie, you are not canceling."

They had moved to the seating area at the far end of the workshop, Charlotte sitting on the large leather sofa with her legs tucked under her, leaning against the arm rest, with Tony next to her. There was music playing over the sound system, though what it was, she had no idea; she rarely did when it came to Tony's musical selections.

"It's just a speech for an audience of mostly stuffed shirts who don't think a woman can run a successful winery anyway. It's not a big deal."

"It's a big deal to me. I want you to go, and when you get back, you can tell me all about it. And if any of those guys disrespect you, I'll buy their wineries and make you their boss."

That made her laugh. "Please don't, that would be way too much work!" More serious now, she asked, "So what are you going to do with the suit when it's done?"

"Take it for a spin." His answer was glib; sounding almost rehearsed.

"Anywhere particular in mind?" She didn't have to be a genius to realize that Tony's latest creation had the potential to be a weapon, and in his present state of mind, that caused her real concern.

"Nope." He wasn't looking at her anymore. _And he said she was a lousy liar!_

Sighing inwardly, she realized there was nothing for it but to lay it all out on the table. She put a gentle hand on his thigh. "Tony," she said softly. "You said some things to me this morning when I brought you inside. You pretty drunk." He tensed, flashing her a look then away again. Did he remember what he'd said? She wasn't sure. "You talked about Jimmy and someone named Yinsen and how they needed to be avenged." Would he bolt? For a moment, she thought so, but instead he slid his leg up onto the sofa, turning halfway towards her. "I'm not trying to pressure you into talking about anything you don't want to, Tony, honest. It's just that it scared me a little, you know?"

He nodded, covering her hand on his leg with his, twining their fingers. "Yeah."

"I know Jimmy was one of the Airmen killed in the ambush. But I didn't recognize the other name." _Come on, Tony, talk to me._ He would either talk, shut down, or get angry like he had earlier. She was praying for the first one.

Swallowing a few times, his eyes darted around the room before they dropped to stare at their clasped hands. "Yinsen..." He took a breath before starting again. "Yinsen was the doctor that did the surgery on my heart. After the ambush. Saved my life." He stopped, and she thought that was all he was going to say, but she was wrong. "I wouldn't have made it out if he hadn't been there."

"He didn't make it out alive." It was a sad statement of truth, not a question. There was no doubt in her mind that the unknown Yinsen had died in that place that had almost taken her dear friend's life.

A sharp shake of his head, then, "He said I was a man who had everything but nothing."

"Do you believe that?" she asked in a carefully neutral voice.

"Sometimes. Yeah. I do."

"So what is this about, Tony?" She waved back at the parts of the suit scattered behind them. "Revenge? Redemption? Both?"

"Does it matter?"

"I think so. But then I don't think you're a man who has nothing."

"Don't!" That one word was harsh and raw.

"Don't what? Remind you that your life matters to me? To Pepper? Or isn't that worth enough to think about before you take that suit of yours to go wreak your own personal vengeance?" She kept her voice cool and matter of fact.

"Do not lecture me about revenge! I don't want to hear about letting justice take its course! Just don't!" He pulled his hand from hers, his body taut with anger.

She laughed softly. "You should know me better than that, Tony. I'm not going to lecture you or tell you what's right and what's wrong. You're a grownup. Well, mostly," she said dryly. "You want to deal with this yourself? I can't say that I blame you." He looked surprised at that. Oh, how much easier this would be if she could tell him that she had been down this road, and more than once, over the centuries. But that wasn't possible. Her immortality was a secret she couldn't share. "No, no lectures. But counsel? Yeah, that you're going to get. You constantly leap into situations, into life, with no thought for what the ramifications might be. And truthfully, it's one of the things I love about you. But not this time, Tony. What you're contemplating will have major consequences; you need to think first, act second, just this once. Please."

"So that's it? If I want to go halfway around the world and blow crap up, that's okay with you? As long as I think about it first." His mouth had fallen into a sulky pout that made her want to shake him.

"For god's sake, you're going to do what you want, like you always do! So don't get all bent out of shape because I won't argue with you about it!" she snapped at him.

"I just… Okay, fine, I'm being a jerk. So sue me," he grumbled.

Leaning in, she put her hands on his shoulders. "If I sued you every time you were a jerk, I'd have that very nice corner office of yours." She kissed him on the cheek. "Despite the fact that I could cheerfully strangle you sometimes, never forget that I adore you and I always will. Nothing will ever change that."

His eyes dark with emotion, he didn't immediately reply. Finally he said, "I just want to make it right."

"I know you do, Tony love. But you can't fix the world all by yourself; I think you know that though." Sighing, she placed her cheek against his, whispering, "Just be careful and remember that you are a man who can have everything."

* * *

"It was good seeing you again." Charlotte gave Pepper a hug. "And don't forget, we have plans!"

"I won't!" Pepper returned the hug.

"Okay, okay, I'm feeling like you don't care now," Tony protested at being left out.

"Such a baby," Charlotte said, rolling her eyes. "Come here." She held out her arms.

"That's more like it," he said as she held him close. "You really smell good, you know."

"That's because you have excellent taste in perfume," Charlotte said. "Actually, it's Pepper who does, but it is the thought that counts after all."

"So was that your birthday or Christmas?"

"Christmas," Charlotte and Pepper said in unison.

"Right, Christmas!" He stroked her hair, his eyes locking on hers. "I'm going to be okay."

Charlotte nodded. "I know." Brushing her lips against his, she said, "Try not and do anything that puts you on the front page of the paper, okay?"

"Not a problem," he assured her breezily.

"I'm going to hold you to that," she warned.

His arm around her waist, he walked her to the Rolls. "Happy's taking you to the airfield and the company chopper's going to take you back to San Louis Obispo."

"Tony, I can take a commercial flight!" she protested.

He squeezed her waist. "Don't argue."

"But—"

"Uh uh! No!"

"Tony—"

"Seriously, no, not up for debate. Happy, take Miss Sparrow to the SI airfield – and you have my express permission to bodily toss her in the chopper if necessary." He gave her a little push towards the open door.

Tony's chauffeur stifled a laugh. "Of course, Mr. Stark. Ma'am?" He held the door for her.

"If you're good, the pilot might even let you take the controls on the way home," Tony told Charlotte with a smirk.

"Fine!" She flopped onto the back seat; Tony closing the car door once she was settled. Leaning out the open window, she said, "You'll call me?"

"Yes, I'll call you," he assured her as Happy walked around to the driver's side.

"Good," she told him cheerily, a wicked gleam in her eye. "Very good."

"What's with the look?" Tony asked suspiciously.

"What look? Don't know what you mean!" she protested, all innocence, as Happy started the Rolls. "Love you, Tony." She waved as the car slowly began to make its way down the sweeping drive.

"Yeah, me too." Eyes widening as if he'd just realized something, he took out his cell, hitting the speed dial. Strains of ITurn On your Heart Light/I could be heard accompanied by peals of delighted feminine laughter as the car pulled out of the gate.

End


End file.
